Slammers Slam Door on Wild Things, Triumph in First Series in Franchise History

Devin Shepherd used his hands perfectly as he crushed a two-run double in the fifth to put the Slammers ahead for good as they knocked off the Washington Wild Things by a final score of 5-4 Saturday night.

The Slammers wasted no time getting on the board as Ben Ferrell smacked a one-out single for his first professional hit in his first professional at bat in the first inning. After Josh Flores walked, Erik Lis recorded his first hit as a Slammer with a single to drive in Ferrell.

In the second Joliet benefited from some wildness from Wild Things starter Jhonny Montoya. He hit Kyle Maunus to start things off. One out later Kris Kasarjian looped a double down the left field line and Maunus hustled around the bases to score from first.

Pedro Lopez sliced a single for his first hit of the year to left-center, putting runners at the corners. With two away and Josh Flores up, Montoya uncorked a wild pitch and Kasarjian scored to make it 3-0 Slammers.

Meanwhile, Slammers starter Jake Renshaw worked around lead-off singles in the first two innings, but the Wild Things finally got to him in the third. Kevyn Feiner and Chris Sidick recorded back-to-back singles to start the inning. Then Luis Rivera doubled both of them home with a shot to deep left-center and the score was 3-2 Slammers.

The two runs for Washington exceeded their total from the first two games against the Slammers. They’d tack on two more in the inning to take a 4-3 lead thanks to a sacrifice fly from Josh Banda and a RBI grounder off the bat of Eric Stephens. Overall, the Wild Things would send nine men to the plate in the inning.

The Slammers’ bats were quiet until the fifth. Ferrell reached on a throwing error by shortstop Emilio Ontiveros. Josh Flores drew a walk and one out later Devin Shepherd came up large with a double to deep right field. The two-bagger drove in two to give the Slammers a 5-4 lead.

Washington’s big third inning was all they would get against Renshaw. The experienced righty slammed the door on them from then on. The Wild Things only managed to get two more batters on base as Renshaw went seven strong innings, scattering eight hits, giving up the four runs — all earned — walking only one and striking out three. Renshaw would earn the victory.

Aaron Dott took over in the eighth inning and worked a 1-2-3 frame. Joliet native Ryan Quigley nailed down the first save in Slammers’ history in the ninth.